AI Business
Oct 1, 2026
Satlyt secures $8 million funding to develop AI software for satellites
Oct 1, 2026
AI Summary
Satlyt, co-founded by former Google and SpaceX product manager Rama Afullo, has raised $8 million to create software that enables AI operations on satellites. The company's technology aims to enhance operational efficiency in space, potentially saving costs for satellite operators.
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- Rama Afullo, a former Google and SpaceX employee, co-founded Satlyt to develop satellite software for AI operations.
- The company has raised $8 million in seed funding and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and Nairobi.
- Satlyt's software is set to launch on a SpaceX rocket, alongside a prototype for Google's Project Suncatcher.
- Unlike competitors, Satlyt focuses on software rather than building its own spacecraft, aiming to create a horizontally integrated ecosystem for satellite operations.
- The software has already been tested on two missions, including a deployment of Google DeepMind's AI model, which significantly reduced transmission sizes for onboard software errors.
- The upcoming mission will involve collaboration with NASA and other companies to test cloud computing protocols and image processing in space.
- Satlyt aims to establish a shared computing system across multiple satellites, potentially creating a cloud-based service in orbit.
- The seed funding was led by Non Sibi Ventures, which sees potential in Satlyt's approach without relying on the uncertain economics of space data centers.
- Afullo hopes to have Satlyt's software on 20% of satellites by the end of the decade, emphasizing the importance of advanced processors like GPUs in modern spacecraft.
satellitesorbital computingfundingai technologyopen software